Who is Dr. Beach?
Just before Memorial Day weekend every year, Stephen Leatherman, aka “Dr. Beach,” announces his list of Top 10 Beaches in the United States. Who exactly is Dr. Beach, and what qualifies him to make these assessments of our nation’s best shorelines? Bing Travel presents a Q&A with America’s favorite sand man, who directs the Laboratory for Coastal Research at Florida International University in Miami.
Q. Are you really a doctor?
A. Well, I am not a medical doctor, so some people would say that I am not a real doctor. I have a Ph.D. from the University of Virginia in coastal environmental sciences.
Q. As a professor, what classes do you teach at Florida International University?
A. I have been directing a research center (the International Hurricane Research Center) for the past decade, so I have not had time to teach courses. This fall I will be teaching a course in Coastal Hazards, which involves hurricanes, tsunamis, beach erosion, rip currents, etc. — all important issues to anyone who lives on the coast or goes on vacation to a beach. During the spring semester next year, I will be introducing a very popular course that I taught for many years at the University of Maryland, College Park — Waves and Beaches. This will be a first-year course, so I am expecting a good enrollment.
Q. What is the role of the Laboratory for Coastal Research at FIU?
A. Researchers in the Laboratory for Coastal Research work on a range of projects, which include coastal erosion induced by hurricanes as measured by airborne laser technology; impacts of sea-level rise on coastal areas, especially South Florida, where the land is very low; and rip currents, which kill more people on average than hurricanes, not counting Hurricane Katrina. People see the waves, but currents are often invisible, and many beachgoers don't even realize that there are currents in the ocean, much less very dangerous ones. Recently I developed a method to make currents visible with my floating dye ball water tracer wherein I utilize red fluorescent dye to reveal a slowly moving rip current at Miami Beach, Florida. (Watch an educational video about rip currents.)
Q. What role did you play during the Gulf Coast oil spill?
A. We closely monitored the oil spill, providing real-time information on its movement and impact on Florida beaches on our Beachfinder website. The oil spill did have an impact on my ratings, as no Florida panhandle beach appeared on the Top 10 Beach List last year. Siesta Beach in Sarasota was on the list in 2010 because I strongly believed that the Loop Current would keep any oil away from the Southwest Florida beaches, which it did — my prediction was correct. I was also able to downplay some of the hype by appearing on numerous TV shows, pointing out that few beaches were actually impacted. It was ridiculous when the federal clean-up people came out in space suits at Pensacola Beach while there were bikini-clad beachgoers walking by them. I also pointed out that the very warm water and bright sun in the Gulf would cause much of the oil to dissipate, which it did.
Q. Tell me how you got President Barack Obama to take a dip in Panama City beach after the oil spill.
A. A CNN news reporter asked me what Obama had to do to demonstrate that the water was safe. I said that he had to go for a swim, which he did. Perhaps President Obama was going swimming anyway, but this became a fairly big news story, which could not be ignored.
Q. What is the general state of Gulf Coast beaches one year after the oil spill?
A. I am pleased to say that all the beaches in Florida are perfectly good — a beachgoer would be hard-pressed to find anything from the spill. I believe that the same is true for Alabama and Mississippi, although I haven't had time to inspect those beaches. Louisiana was the state that had the most problem, as the spill came onshore at Grande Island and some local salt marshes. Grande Island is not a tourist draw, albeit locals really like it. There is probably still some oil buried in the beach sands there.
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